Securing means for automobile top closures



H. E. ADAMS.

SECURING MEANS vFOR AUTOMOBILE TOP CLOSURES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 7, 192|.

1324,06 1 Patented July 25, 1922.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/z-% 07 s l A I VENTR.'

H. E. ADAMS.

SIECURING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE TOP CLOSURES. APPLICATION HLEDMAR.7,192|.

Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY E. ADAMS, or NEW YORK, N. Y. Y

sncURrNG MEANS non AUTOMOBILE' Tor ortosnan's.` n

ing Meansfor Automobile Top. Closures, or

whichl the following is a specicati'on. l

My improvements relate particularly to means for securingthe closurepanels employed in conjunction with convertible auto mobile bodies andtopsdesigned yand adapt-- ed for use eitherl in open touringy car form,or for equipment in closed limousinei'orm, as

may be -iound most expedient in adaptingA the car to exigenciesincidental to travel, my main object lbeing the provision of :conveniently inanipulatable and substantially rigid securing devices vforthe support of the detachablefside sashes when positioned-on the sillsof the car body, and the invention consisting in the specificcombination and arrangement oiiparts described and claimedfa distinctivefeature being the construction, application and utilization oi the.automatic sash locking mechanism, as hereinafter fully Set forth. Y. p f

In the accompanying'drawings,

Fig. l, is a side view of a portion of an auto-car indicating thepositioning and use of my closure sash securing means as related `to thecar'body;

Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the inner sidelof the lower portion oi'a sash as secured. to a bevelled car body sill; p I

Fig. 3, is a `vertical sectional elevation taken substantially uponplane of lines 3 3, Figs. 2and 4,;

Fig. 4:, is a face view of the bolt casing shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 9. ,yy Fig. 5,V isV an exterior elevation, partly broken away and in section,of the adjacent lower portionsy of two sashes. adaptedv for supportonkbevelled sills such as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 6, is a horizontal section taken upon plane of line 6 6, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7, 4is a vertical section plane vor' line Z4-7, Fig. 6;

Fig. 8, is a detail view showing 'of a coupling tongue;

taken upon ythe Vface M ySpecification of Letters Patent; W [[1y'725,Application filed March 7,

1'921. serial No. 450,375.

Fig.y 9, isi-a plane of linek9--9, Fig. 3,1m Y

F '10, is a hori ontal-section oasash', showing a top- View ofmyautomatic locking deViCe @S adapted and applied to a flat Sill of acar body;

Fig. ll, is an edge viewofwthelower .por-f tion of a sash, and the top;of aflatsill, showing yan elevation of the'form of my lock casing shownin Fig.y l0;

Fig. l2, isasection taken upon plane of.l

line 12l2, Fig. l1, Y l

In Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive, of the drawings, my automatic sash lock forautomobile closures is shownas adaptedand applied to the bevelled` sillof a car body, while in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, it is shown' as. adapted andap,- plied to a flat sill ofa car'body,-the construction and functioningof the operative parts being essentially the same in either external:form of lock. y

Fig. l, illustrates the positioning and relaf tive location (as a, a) offor the Window sashes W, .as attached to the carbody, either to thedoors D, thereof or d`rectlyto the body B itself,-T, representingademountabletop of any desired or well known construction, the,horizontal linesy ticularly Figs. 2 and 3) 'theA bottom of each verticalsection ltaken upon my automatic loclrs' bolt casing C, is made toconform thereto,

and is formed with a rear Harige` c, by'means of which it is screwed tothe rear upper fiat portion s2, of said bevelled sill, whereas whenapplied toa flat sill 8*,as in the last three figures of the drawings,thebo'lt casing' C, is formed withlateral lugs c', c', for screwattachment to said sill s". f

In eitherl form the casing C, consists preferably, although notnecessarily,of a solid block. of metal formed with a recess; c?, eX,-

tending from front to rear, in which is slid-` ably mounted a bolt o.,lhaving a peaked` outer end or nose b', as shown moreparticularly in Fig.3, and indicated in Fig. ,9,- said peaked nose b', being for contacturalengagement with the wedge shaped lower Ul i end cu2, of a couplingtongue w', rigidly attached to the inner face of the aforesaid lowermember fw, of the panel or sash frame W, and also for engagement with amortise w3, `formed for the purpose in the body portion oi' saidcoupling tongue w, as also shown more particularly in said Figs. 3 and9, of the drawings.

Interposed between a shoulder t2, on the bolt and an abutment c3, in therecess 02,

is acompression spring e, which tends con-` stantly to force the bolt b,outward with its peaked nose .72', protuberant into a dove tailA frroove0X, formed in the face of the casing the extent of such iiorward thrustof the bolt Z), being limited by a stop b3, on the inner end of theshank b4, of the said bolt b, said stop b3, being positioned to engagewith the abutment bearing c3, in such manner as to gauge the extent ofintrusion oit the bolt nose o', into said dovetail groove 0X, Vso as tomaintain said bolt nose ZJ, (even when lthe sash or panel is withdrawn)in operative relation tok the Wedge end wz, and the socket w3, of thecoupling tongue w.

The latter is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the inner face ofthe lower member w, of the sash frame, is in theform of a dovetail incross section, and has downwardly convergent longitudinal sides 104,Q04, corresponding to and iitting in' the longitudinally convergent sidewalls 04, c4, of the dovetail groove cx, in the face of the casing C; Y

l thus provide not only `for the forcing back of the bolt Z), againstthe resistance of the spring e, by means of the wedge end fw2, of thecoupling tongue w', when the latter is inserted in the dovetail grooveGX but also provide for the 'functioning or the coupling tongue zo,itself asa wedge to lit laterally and lirmly, and tightly within thesaid groove cx, so that the panel or sash W7, will be supported rigidlyon the car sill, provided of course that plural locking means such asshown and described are providedv for each panel or sash, as indicatedparticularly in Figs. Il and 2, oit the drawings. y

Furthermore, by my construction and arrangement of interlocking parts,the operation of detachably mounting and securing the sash in positionupon the car sill, and of removing it therefrom, is rendered automaticin so far as the bolt b, is concerned, the spring e. yielding to conformto either operation, while at the same time affording suilicientresistance, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, toefectually and positively maintain the sash in position' on the sillagainst displacement by possible 'lj ar or concussion incidental to thetransit of the car over rough roads or obstructions. f

lt is to .be understood that by they term anel or sash W, as rhereinused, I mean o include any transparent window panels, or equivalentclosure means, used in conjunction with convertible auto-bodies and topsoi' the class designated.

My automatic locking mechanism .is simple and inexpensive, and notliable to get out of order the only operative parts being the springbolts which are enclosed, isolated and protected by the casing blocks inwhich they are mounted. Furthermore no manipulation is required otherthan the insertion or withdrawal of the coupling tongues in the panelinto or from the grooves in said casing blocks, so that the mechanism ispractically fool proof.

Itis to be understood that by the term peaknosed bolt Z), as hereinused, mean to designate any bevelling, chamfering or curvature or thenose of the bolt that will adapt it to yield to pressure exerted by thecoupling tongue w.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

l. Securing means for an automobile top closure panel of the characterdesignated, comprising a plurality of automatic lool@ ing devices eachconsisting of a dovetail coupling tongue secured to the lower member ofthe panel frame, said coupling tongue being formed with a bolt mortise,a casing mounted on the car sill and formed with a dovetail groove forthe reception of said dovetail coupling tongue on the panel, and a peaknosed spring bolt mounted in said casing and adapted to engage the saidmortise in the coupling tongue, for the purpose described.

2. Securing means for an automobile top closure panel of the characterdesignated, comprising a plurality of automatic locking devices eachconsisting of a dovetail coupling tongue formed with convergentlongitudinal edges, said coupling tonguebeing wedge shaped at its lowerextremityv and being also formedwith a bolt mortise, a casing mounted onthe car sill and formed with a dovetail groove having downward convergent sides for the reception of the said convergent dovetail couplingtongue on the panel, and a peak nosed spring bolt mounted in said casingand adapted to engage the said mortise in the coupling tongue, for thepurpose described.

3. Securing means for an automobile` top closure panel of the characterdesignated, comprising a plurality of automatic locking devices eachconsisting of a dovetail coupling tongue formed with convergentlongitudinal edge-s, said coupling tongue being wedge shaped at itslower extremity and being formed with a bolt mortise, a casing mountedon the car sill and Aformed with a dovetail groove having downwardconvergent sides for the reception of the said con- Leaepei vergentdovetail vCoupling; tongue on tbe panel, and a peak nosed spring boltmounted in said easing and adapted to engage the said mortise in thecoupling tongue, together with means for limiting the outward thrust ofsaid bolt, for the purpose described.

4. In a device of the character described, a beveled sill, a bolt casingconforming 10 thereto, a bolt slidable in said casing, a

couplingtongue having wedge-shaped lower end and having a mortise torengagement by said bolt, and means for automatically I gauging theextent of intrusion of tlie bolt nose in operative relation to saidWedgeend `l5 and mortise.

HAR-RY E. ADAMS. vWitnesses DOROTHY MIATT, GEO. WM. MIATT.

